Ethics and research priorities in academic administration

Deans and directors of nursing education programs have primary responsibility for budgets even though different programs vary in the advising and recommending power given to committees. With research needing greater emphasis, especially in schools with graduate programs, and budgets at all levels facing minimal increases or cutbacks, nursing deans are faced with difficult decisions in securing and allocating monies for research. Many faculty view decisions and allocations only at the micro level of who gets money for what and do not consider these decisions from the perspective of how they are influenced by such macro-level considerations as restructuring of health care, the downsizing of educational programs, and the strategic plans of their own institution and granting agencies. In this article an attempt was made to consider both the macro and micro levels and to select from several ethical theories such principles as caring, utility, justice, and faithfulness to illustrate how the decisions can be guided by ethical principles. Ethics of caring can be seen as a guide in research development. Utility is about the only justification for downsizing and restructuring. The expectations of higher administration, faculty, students, and alumni may create dilemmas in regard to faithfulness. Distributive justice provides guidance for the distribution of scarce resources.